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Off-road motorcycles to be banned in parts of Dubai

Off-road motorcycles are set to be banned in certain neighbourhoods of Dubai in a bid to crack down on antisocial behaviour.

Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed made the decision to ban off-road bikes after 17 motorcycle riders died in accidents in 2016. Up from 10 deaths in 2015. Off-road bikes will b e banned in residential areas, roads and any other areas marked as restricted by the Roads and Transport Authority.

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"The new rules will definitely reduce the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths. It will also organise the use of motorcycling among youth," Brig Saif Al Mazroui, director of Dubai traffic police told thenational.ae.

In February the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority suggested motorcycle licences be split into three categories based around the age of the rider and the engine displacement of the motorcycles they would be allowed to ride. At present the law only permits riders to be 16-years of age and physically fit to obtain a motorcycle licence.

Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE, said: "Many motorcyclists and off-road motorcycle riders don’t follow traffic etiquette and don’t care about others on the road. We all experience roaring motorcycles producing incredible amounts of noise at the most odd times of the day and a lot during night hours. I am sure we all can tell stories of extremely noisy vehicles and motorcycles waking us and our families up in the middle of the night."